


The Heir

by orphan_account



Category: Captive Prince - C. S. Pacat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-20
Updated: 2019-08-20
Packaged: 2020-09-18 21:28:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20319769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account





	The Heir

The wet nurse was found in Jokaste's rooms at Ios. She was quick to prostrate herself, quick to proclaim her loyalty to Damienos, quick to give up the child when asked. For all of her cunning, Jokaste's servants were not as loyal as she seemed to believe.

The child had dark eyes and olive skin and a shock of bright blond hair just growing in on the top of his head. The hair matched Jokaste, but for a moment Laurent's mind pictured this child as his. Or his brother's.

Laurent frowned. No, not Auguste's child. Auguste would have far more discretion, would never make the mistake of fathering a child unmarried. (Nevermind the fact that Laurent would never lay with a woman.)

No, this child was Damen's. Well, he was probably his brother's, but Damen would treat him as his own for sure. Probably even make him the heir.

They hadn't talked much about the future yet. There hadn't been time. Damen was recovering from his stab wound, and Laurent, as much as he would have liked to stay by his side, had needed to ensure that the chaos of the day didn't once again devolve into disaster. Finding the child had been luck. Laurent would have expected Jokaste to send him to a different fortress, a place better hidden. But the wet nurse had brought him here.

Laurent made a quick decision. "King Damienos will want to meet his son," he said, motioning to his guard.

The wet nurse came willingly, though her nerves were clear on her face. If Laurent had not met Jokaste, he would think that Akileions simply could not be deceptive. As it was, she seemed the exception that proved the rule. Though Damen was showing more propensity for deception lately. Laurent chalked that one up to his own influence.

The doors to the sick room were heavily guarded, but the Akileion soldiers allowed them entry immediately. Inside, it was bright and open, large glassless windows allowing in the sun and sea breeze. Damen lay on a low Akileion bed below one of the windows. He had been watching birds out the window, but when the doors opened he looked up.

A bright smile spread across the new King's face when his eyes met Laurent's. Something warm bloomed in Laurent's stomach at the fondness in that look. Surely, he'd thought, surely Damen would resent him for killing his brother. But the Akileion showed no sign of resentment or even mistrust. The naive fool, Laurent thought fondly.

"Yes?" Damen asked, a hint of amusement in his voice. He showed no sign that his wound might be paining him.

"We have found Jokaste's child," Laurent said.

The words wiped all amusement from Damen's face. For a moment, he looked a little lost, a little helpless, before his features composed themselves into a happier state. Laurent doubted anyone else noticed the brief moment of weakness.

"You found my son?" Damen asked. There it was. Laurent had been expecting that, the claim on the child, but a part of his mind that was still entrenched in Veretian manners still recoiled at the idea of having an illegitimate child, let alone claiming it as his own. He carefully kept that off of his face. Damen did not need to know that part of his lover was disgusted by the existence of Jokaste's child. No matter who the father truly was.

Laurent stepped aside, revealing the wet nurse. She bowed immediately, as low as she could without endangering the infant. "Exalted," she breathed.

Damen motioned for her to bring the child to him, and she scurried to obey. Laurent drifted over more slowly, affecting an unhurried air. He would not miss his lover's happiness for the world, not now that things had finally begun to go their way. But it would not do to show how eager he truly was.

Damen's face lit up on seeing the child for the first time. All of the tension he normally carried around his eyes and on his brow melted away. He radiated delight and awe, and Laurent found himself needing to remind himself to breathe.

Damen tenderly took the child in his arms. It was as though to him, there was nothing else in the world, and Laurent got the uncomfortable feeling that he was intruding on some private moment. Despite that, he could not bring himself to even look away, let alone leave and give Damen the privacy he deserved.

"What is his name?" Damen asked, glancing up at the wet nurse.

"He does not have one yet, Exalted. Jokaste did not give me a name." The wet nurse's voice shook only a little.

"I see," Damen said. He looked at the infant for a long while. The child seemed to look back, and the feeling that Laurent was intruding intensified.

Just as Laurent steeled himself to leave, Damen looked up and caught his eye.

"I can think of only one name that would suit this child," Damen said slowly. He sounded almost unsure, like he was afraid that what he was about to say would be exactly the wrong thing. "I would like to name him after your brother."

The world stopped for a moment. The brother-killer wanted to name his child after the man he killed. The old rage welled up, but Laurent was surprised to find that it was little more than an echo of what it used to be, easily overpowered by the realization that this was a peace offering. A gift. A way to honor and remember and atone.

Laurent found himself nodding. "Auguste suits him."

Damen's smile widened, and Laurent mirrored it. This child, Auguste, would live in a time of peace. A time where Vere and Akileos were allies, were friends, were united. It wasn't as simple as that. Laurent knew it wouldn't be as simple as that. But he smiled back at Damen and let himself believe that his lover's child would have a peaceful life.


End file.
